CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA – Traveling Australians securely downloaded more than 10 million vaccination certificates, over a 17-month period during the pandemic, thanks to a digital signing solution by Verizon Business and the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). At its peak, over 10,000 certificates were issued daily as Australia opened its borders to international travel.
Australia introduced the COVID -19 vaccination certificate after the United Nations International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) called for a universal travel vaccination certificate. To this end, DFAT, the organisation responsible for issuing passports to Australian citizens, worked with Verizon Business’ Federal Government team to develop, create and maintain a digital signing solution. The main objectives of the digital certificates were to prove authenticity and enable seamless validation of the vaccination status by international immigration authorities and airline check-ins.
Since its launch in October 2021, the cutting-edge solution has played a pivotal role in ensuring the safe and secure reopening of Australia’s borders. “The partnership between DFAT and Verizon Business has demonstrated its resilience over the last 18-years, delivering scalable solutions that prioritize security from the ground up”, commented Robert Le Busque, Regional Vice President for the Asia-Pacific region at Verizon Business Group. “Our joint efforts have facilitated the issuance of over 10 million certificates to Australian travelers, offering them protection while supporting the nation’s safe reopening.”
Securing Australia’s digital certificates
When it comes to authenticating communications and ensuring user-friendly experience, certificates are seen as the gold standard. To this end, Australia’s Gatekeeper Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) Framework is the government’s strategy to enable online government services delivery, reinforcing the concept of implementing digital signatures to automate transactions that are traditionally carried out on paper. A trusted system of certification for government enables verification and authentication of transactions between clients, industry, governmental agencies and other governments.
Verizon Business Australia has provided managed network and security services to enterprise and government agencies in Australia for over 20 years. In addition, the company has been accredited as a Gatekeeper service provider by the Australian Government for more than a decade and supports Public Key Infrastructure deployments within government, property and healthcare industries. It’s state-of-the-art Asia-Pacific Advanced Security Operations Center is based in Canberra and staffed by Australian government cleared security specialists providing 24 x 7 monitoring.
Learn more about how to authenticate users and protect critical data or find out more information about Australia’s international certificate.
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